Breakaway anchor



Sept. 29, 1964 J. H. FIELDS BREAKAWAY ANCHOR INVENTOR. JOHN H. FIELDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1, 1963 ATTORNEY Sept. 29, 1964 .1. H. FIELDS 3,150,629

BREAKAWAY ANCHOR Filed May 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. DS

9 M 7 a. w 4 O 2 6 6 4. 3 M 3 5- 6 4 3 3 5 M r FIG. 6

FIG. 5

J HN H. Fl

BY ATTORNEY FIG. 7

United Smtes Patent Office 3,150,629 Patented Sept. 29, 1964 3,150,629 BREAKAWAY ANCHOR John Hardy Fields, Princeton, Fla. (177% SW. 290th St., Rte. 2, Miami, Fla.) Filed May 1, 1%3, Ser. No. 277,170 4 Claims. or. 114-206 This invention relates to boat anchors and more particularly to a breakaway anchor which will be automatically released and freed from snagging on bottom obstructions.

In the use of anchors used particularly for securing small boats a common problem which frequently arises is the fouling or snagging of the anchor on an obstruction lying on the bottom of the body of water on which the boat floats.

A line, attached on one end to the anchor and on the other to the boat, is ordinarily employed for raising and lowering the anchor. This common arrange ment is normally effective. However, when the anchor becomes fouled by a bottom obstruction such, for example, as becoming snagged on a rock, ledge, or becoming entangled with any other heavy obstruction, pulling of the line in an effort toraise the anchor is frequently of no avail, and generally only results in increasing the difficulty. The line must then be cut with the resulting loss of the anchor.

Attempts have been made to solve this problem, but they have not been too successful and most of them have created or presented additional problems.

The novel design of breakaway anchor of this invention has overcome all of the disadvantages of previous designs and has provided an anchor which can always be released from fouling automatically, efficiently and has many advantages not present in any prior related devices.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a novel breakaway non-fouling anchor of improved design.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel anchor wherein the pull of the hauling line is automatically transferred from its normal secured point at the upper or free end of the stem of the anchor to a point adjacent to the bottom of the anchor when the anchor is fouled or snagged on the bottom.

Still another object is to provide a novel breakaway anchor which includes means to normally secure the hauling line in fixed relation with the upper or free end of the anchor stem and maintain it in this position unless the anchor becomes snagged on the bottom, whereupon said means gives way in a manner to transfer the pull of said hauling line to a point adjacent to the bottom of the anchor in manner to cause it to tilt and so free the anchor from the obstruction upon which it is snagged.

A still further object is to provide tension spring controlled means for maintaining the point of contact of a hauling line normally adjacent to the outer end of the stem of an anchor, which tension spring means may be preadjusted to automatically give way and transfer the point of contact of the hauling line to the bottom of the anchor when a predetermined amount of pulling eifort has been exceeded and thereby cause the anchor to tilt and free it from any obstruction upon which it is snagged.

Yet another object is to provide a breakaway anchor which will yield to a predetermined pulling pressure in a manner which will change the angle of the hauling line in relation to the anchor to cause the anchor to tilt and release it from an obstruction when snagged.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for freeing a fouled boat anchor which includes an adjustable spring controlled mechanism located within the hollow stem of a boat anchor adapted to maintain a hauling line link in operative association with the top end of the anchor stem during normal hauling line tensions and to release the link from its association with the top end of the anchor when a predetermined amount of pulling stress has been applied to the hauling line.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will more fully appear from a consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the boat anchor of this invention shown with the hauling line secured through a link to the top end of the anchor as in normal operation;

FIGURE 2 is another perspective view similar to FIG- URE 1, but illustrating the link, to which the hauling line is secured, separated from the top end of the anchor;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view of the upper end of the anchor illustrating the link and hauling line in normal position;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view similar to FIGURE 3, but illustrating the link and hauling line detached from the upper end of the anchor;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the anchor of this invention showing the hauling line link in normal posi tion;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG- URE 5, but showing the hauling line link detached from the anchor and the position of the parts when the spring is compressed FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the anchor stem.

Referring now to the drawings.

In conjunction with the following detailed description in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views there is illustrated in FIGURE 1 an anchor made'in accordance with the teachings of this invention, which is numbered 10 generally.

The anchor 10 comprises a hollow sleeve 11, which forms the stern of the anchor, and a cylindrical hub 12 is screw-threaded onto the lower end of the sleeve 11, at 14. Any desired number of flukes 16 may be mounted on the hub 12 by welding or other means or they may be cast or formedintegrally with hub 12.

A metal link 18 is operatively associated with the upper and outer end of the stem 11 of the anchor as illustrated in FIGURES 1, 3 and 5 in a manner and for the purpose which will be hereinafter described in detail.

A hauling line 2%, which may be of manila rope or nylon has one end secured to a boat (not shown). The extreme lower end of line 20 is tied securely to a ring 22, which is fixed to the lower end of the hub 12 of the anchor as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The line 20 is looped and knotted about link 18 as shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4, a small amount of slack being preferably permitted in the line 20 between the bottom ring 22, and link 18, to which it is secured as afore-described.

This arrangement is utilized to free the anchor when it is fouled or snagged on an under water obstruction such, for example, as the rock 24, shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. One of the flukes 16, having become snagged under the rock 24, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the normal reaction is to pull harder on the hauling line 20. This increases the tension on line 20 to point which causes the ring 18 to break away from its fixed association with the upper part of the anchor stem 10, as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Upon pulling line 20 becomes taut, and since the line is free of its connection with the upper end of the anchor stem 11, the direction of pulling force of hauling line 263 is altered by the transfer of its only remaining point of contact with the anchor to the ring 22, as shown in FIGURE 2. This action causes the anchor to tilt and the flukes 16 to be released from snagging engagement with rock 24.

The novel apparatus of this invention makes it possible, for the first time in devices of this type, to predetermine the degree of tension or amount of pulling force at which the link 18 will break away and transfer the direction of pulling force to the bottom of the anchor. This feature is of utmost importance to prevent premature breakaway action. The size and weight of the boat, the force and rate of water flow encountered in different streams or tides, the wind speed and other constantly variable factors make this ability to adjust the tension of the device to meet varying conditions extremely important and advantageous.

A fixed constant breakaway pressure or tension, as in previously known devices of this type, results in one of two things. Generally, too easy release with constant premature separation when fixed too lightly, or too difficult release when fixed too heavily.

Referring now to FIGURES 5 and 6 which disclose the novel mechanism by which all of the faults of prior art devices are overcome and ready predetermination of the breakaway pressure is obtained by simple easy adjustment, there is shown a rod or shaft 30, which is reciprocally mounted within the sleeve 11, of the anchor 10.

The extreme lower end of the shaft 36 is screw threaded at 31 to receive a cylindrical ferrule 32, having an upper annular shoulder 33, which projects radially outwardly beyond the outer diameter of shaft 38 to form a seat for a coil spring 34, which surrounds shaft 38 within the confines of the sleeve 11 as clearly shown.

An annular radially inwardly extending shoulder 36, is formed about midway of the length of the tube 11 on its inner surface, FIGURES 5 and 6. This shoulder 36, serves as the seat for the upper end of coil spring 34. Thus, spring 34 is confined between shoulder 36 of tube 11, and the seat 33 of ferrule 32.

Ferrule 32 has an enlarged nut with flange 38, formed at its lower end, and said flange 38 is slidable, upwardly and downwardly within a cylindrical recess 40 formed in the center of the lower end of hub 12. Recess 40 has a bottom 41, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, which is the bottom of the hub 12.

It is thus apparent that the expansion coil spring 34 is confined between annular shoulder 36 of stem 11 of anchor 18 and seat 33 of ferrule 32, which in turn is urged towards the bottom 41 of hub 12 of stem 11. Thus the shaft 30 is continuously forced downwardly within the sleeve which forms stem 11. The tension of the spring 34 caused by its compression between annular shoulder 36 and seat 33 may be increased or decreased by advancing or retracting the ferrule 32 which is screwthreaded on the end of shaft 30. Tightening up the coil spring 34 by screwing the ferrule 32 further up shaft 30 increases the tension of the spring and requires greater force to raise shaft 30 within sleeve 11, and vice versa.

Rod 30 carries an upper link retaining member 45, which is pivotally connected thereto by a pin 46, and is an extension of rod 30 and adapted for vertical reciprocal movement, upwardly and downwardly within the hollow stem 11 of anchor 10. See FIGURES 5 and 6. This upper extension member 45 is preferably flat in cross-section and is slightly wider at its extreme upper portion 47 than the internal diameter of the hollow stem 11.

A pair of diametrically opposed vertically extending slots 48, are formed in the upper end of hollow stem 11 as shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 7, in particular. Slots 48 are of a width to accommodate the link 18 which is slidably disposed therein when the anchor 10 is in normal operating position, as shown in FIGURES 1, 3, 5 and 7.

A third vertically extending slot 49, of a width to accommodate fiat link retaining member 45, is also formed in the upper end of hollow stem 11, between the opposed pair of slots 48, all as shown.

Flat link retaining member 45 has an angularly disposed slot 50, formed in one side edge thereof, as viewed in the drawings it appears in the left hand side edge of member 45. Slot 50 is designed of a size to accommodate the link 18.

The right hand side edge of member 45 as viewed in the drawings has an upper inwardly extending notched step 55, formed therein and a second similarly formed notched step 56 disposed in said right hand side edge below the upper step 55. See FIGURES 3, 4, 5, and 6.

The operation of the hereinabove mechanism for permitting the adjustable tension controlled breakaway of link 13 from anchor 10 is as follows:

First, the desired tension of spring 34 is adjusted by turning ferrule 32, on lower end of rod 30, upwardly to compress the spring 34 or downwardly to permit expansion of spring 34. Hub 12 is removed from sleeve 11 by unscrewing for this adjustment operation.

Second, link 18, to which line 20 is knotted, is inserted in slot 59 of link retaining member 45, by pulling the retaining member upwardly and outwardly of sleeve 11, against tension spring 34 which is further compressed in the process, to the position illustrated in FIGURES 2, 4 and 6. Upper portion 47 of member 45 is swung on its pivot 46 to the right, as shown, so that lower notched edge 56 of member 45 is seated on bottom of slot 49.

Third, member 45 is then swung back towards the left to the position illustrated in FIGURES 1, 3 and 5, wherein upper notched edge 55 of member 45 is seated on the bottom of slot 49. The link 18 is now securely held in the bottom of diametrically opposed slots 48 of sleeve 11 and held there by reason of its position in slot 50 of member 45. Member 45 is urged downwardly by spring 34 as it seeks to expand in its confined position between seat 36 of sleeve 11 and seat 33 of ferrule 32.

Fourth, when the force of the pull exerted on line 20 exceeds the predetermined amount and thereby compresses spring 34 enough to raise rod 30 and its pivotally attached upper member 45, the link 18 will ride outwardly in the inclined slot 50 and upwardly in vertical slots 48 until rod 30 and member 45 are raised high enough to permit the link 18 to be freed and released from the slots 48 and 50 and breakway from the anchor as shown in FIGURES 2, 4, and 6. The sliding action of link 18 along inclined slot 58 will pivotally swing upper portion 47 to the left outwardly through slot 49 to permit lower notched edge 56 to engage and be seated on the bottom of slot 49. Spring 34 will retain the parts snugly in this position until link 18 is reinserted as hereinbefore described.

The result of the breakaway action above described will be to transfer the direction of pulling force of the line 28 to ring 22 of the bottom of the anchor and thus tilt the anchor and release it from rock 24.

It is to be understood many variations and alterations in the size, type and positioning of the related parts of the particular embodiment of this invention of an adjustable tension breakaway anchor, as described herein are contemplated without departing from the general spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A boat anchor comprising an elongated hollow stem, a cylindrical hollow hub fixed to the lower end of said hollow stem, a plurality of fiukes extending radially from said hub, a hauling line receiving element fixed to the bottom of said hub, a rod reciprocally disposed within said hollow stem, the lower portion of said rod being screw threaded, a cylindrical ferrule screw threaded on the lower end of said rod, a radially extending annular movable shoulder projecting outwardly beyond the outer diameter of said rod, a coil compression spring surrounding said rod within the confines of the hollow stern and hollow hub and seated on said annular shoulder, an annular radially inwardly extending shoulder formed on the inner diameter of the hollow stem, approximately midway between the upper and lower ends of the elongated hollow stem, forming a fixed upper seat and stop limit for said coil spring against which the upper end of the coil spring is seated, said rod being reciprocal within the inner diameter of the upper radially extending seat, said rod being continuously urged downwardly within the hollow stem by the pressure of the coil spring exerted against the lower spring seat of the ferrule mounted on the lower end of said rod, an upper link adapted to receive the hauling line and have it secured thereto, a link retaining member mounted on the upper end of the rod by a pivotal connection, and reciprocal upwardly and downwardly with the rod, said link retaining member being flat in cross section and slightly wider at its extreme upper portion than the internal diameter of the elongated hollow stem, a pair of diametrically disposed vertical slots formed in the extreme upper end of said hollow stem of a width to receive said upper hauling line link for slidable disposition therein, a third vertical slot formed in the extreme upper end of the stem between the pair of link receiving slots and adapted to receive one edge of the flat link retaining member when said member is pivoted in direction of said slot, an angularly disposed slot formed in one side edge of said flat link retaining member of a width adapted to receive said upper hauling line link, a notch formed in the opposite side edge of the fiat link retaining member at its upper wider portion adapted to be seated in the third vertical slot when the link retaining member is in vertical unpivoted position with the link retained in connected operative position within the angularly disposed slot of the link retaining member, a second notch formed in the side edge of said flat link retaining member below the first notch, said second notch adapted to be seated in the third vertical slot when the link retaining member has been pivoted in direction of the slot and the link released from its angular slot in a manner to retain the flat link retaining member in said pivoted position against the spring tension which is urging the rod and attached flat link retainer downwardly.

2. A breakaway anchor for boats having means to secure a single hauling line at both the upper and lower ends of the anchor in a manner whereby the pulling force of the hauling line is normally exerted upon the upper end thereof, said securing means being detachable from the upper end of the anchor when a predetermined pulling force is applied to the hauling line in a manner to transfer the pulling force to the lower end of the anchor, and adjusting means associated with the anchor which is adapted to vary the degree of force required to detach the hauling line from the upper end of the anchor and transfer it to the lower end thereof, said force adjusting means including a coil spring housed within the anchor and confined and compressed between an upper and lower seat provided therefore inside the anchor, one of said seats being movable in a manner to increase or decrease the amount of compression of the coil spring, a link to which said hauling line is attached, a slotted link retaining member fixed to the upper end of the coil spring, said member being arranged and adapted to retain said link to which the hauling line is secured, in operative position within its slot, and to release said link together with said hauling line when the predetermined pulling force applied to the hauling line is exceeded, whereby the pulling force is transferred to the lower end of the anchor.

3. Ar, anti-fouling anchor, comprising the combination of an elongated hollow anchor stem, a plurality of fiukes fixed to the lower end of said stem, 21 bottom ring fixed to the lower end of said stem, said ring adapted to receive a hauling line and have it secured thereto, a link detachably mounted on the upper end of said stem and adapted to receive said hauling line and have it knotted thereto with a small amount of slack provided in said line between the bottom ring and said upper link, a coil spring permanently mounted and contained under adjustable predetermined tension within said hollow anchor stem adapted to retain said link in secure operative connectlon with the upper end of the hollow stem until a predetermined amount of hauling pressure is exceeded on the hauling line and adapted thereupon to release said link from its connection with the upper end of the anchor stem and breakaway therefrom and so transfer the direction of the pulling force of the hauling line from the top to the bottom of the anchor in a manner to cause the anchor and the flukes of its lower end to be tilted, adjusting means to vary the amount of tension on said coil spring to predetermine the exact hauling pressure at which the upper link will be released and breakaway from the hollow stem, and means to retain said coil spring in operative position within the hollow anchor stem after the upper link has been released and broken away from its connection with the upper end of the anchor stem.

4. An anti-fouling anchor, as described in claim 3, wherein the means for retaining the coil spring within the hollow anchor stem in completely assembled position comprises an annular radially inwardly extending shoulder formed on the inner diameter of the hollow stem against which the upper end of the coil spring is seated, said shoulder forming a stop limit for said spring, and an annular radially outwardly extending shoulder against which the bottom end of the spring is seated, said lower shoulder being formed on the lower end of a reciprocal rod which is confined within the hollow anchor stem and is connected to the upper breakaway link.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,490,460 McAvoy Dec. 6, 1949 2,568,006 Illsche Sept. 18, 1951 2,669,962 Christie Feb. 23, 1954 

3. AN ANTI-FOULING ANCHOR, COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF AN ELONGATED HOLLOW ANCHOR STEM, A PLURALITY OF FLUKES FIXED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID STEM, A BOTTOM RING FIXED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID STEM, SAID RING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A HAULING LINE AND HAVE IT SECURED THERETO, A LINK DETACHABLY MOUNTED ON THE UPPER END OF SAID STEM AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID HAULING LINE AND HAVE IT KNOTTED THERETO WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF SLACK PROVIDED IN SAID LINE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM RING AND SAID UPPER LINK, A COIL SPRING PERMANENTLY MOUNTED AND CONTAINED UNDER ADJUSTABLE PREDETERMINED TENSION WITHIN SAID HOLLOW ANCHOR STEM ADAPTED TO RETAIN SAID LINK IN SECURE OPERATIVE CONNECTION WITH THE UPPER END OF THE HOLLOW STEM UNTIL A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF HAULING PRESSURE IS EXCEEDED ON THE HAULING LINE AND ADAPTED THEREUPON TO RELEASE SAID LINK FROM ITS CONNECTION WITH THE UPPER END OF THE ANCHOR STEM AND BREAKAWAY THEREFROM AND SO TRANSFER THE DIRECTION OF THE PULLING FORCE OF THE HAULING LINE FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ANCHOR IN A MANNER TO CAUSE THE ANCHOR AND THE FLUKES OF ITS LOWER END TO BE TILTED, ADJUSTING MEANS TO VARY THE AMOUNT OF TENSION ON SAID COIL SPRING TO PREDETERMINE THE EXACT HAULING PRESSURE AT WHICH THE UPPER LINK WILL BE RELEASED AND BREAKAWAY FROM THE HOLLOW STEM, AND MEANS TO RETAIN SAID COIL SPRING IN OPERATIVE POSITION WITHIN THE HOLLOW ANCHOR STEM AFTER THE UPPER LINK HAS BEEN RELEASED AND BROKEN AWAY FROM ITS CONNECTION WITH THE UPPER END OF THE ANCHOR STEM. 